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http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/2762815-155/lds-classic-miracle-of-forgiveness-fading ” class=”bbcode_url”> http://www.sltrib.com/lifestyle/faith/2762815-155/lds-classic-miracle-of-forgiveness-fading As you may know, I am not and never have been a fan of this book. I do like President Kimball and the great faith he expressed in his life. I will be pleased when the water reaches the end of the rows on the demise of Miracle of Forgiveness and Mormon Doctrine. Unfortunately there are millions of copies still around, and I don’t believe we should do a Fahrenheit 451 – I just wish people would stop recommending and quoting from them.
I grew up under SWK as a youth. I have studied his life a bit and I have come to a place where I do still respect him. I certainly can see some good in him and do think in his heart he was a very warm person, but I am OK with knowing of his bad (or should I say mistakes/shortcomings) without this overshadowing the good person he was. But I am absolutely glad that this and Mormon doctrine are fading, but that isn’t going to be finished during my lifetime (short of a president of the church stating “those books should be ignored” – which ain’t gunna happen).
This announcement showed up in my FB feed and it sparked a debate between the side that feels that the book was harmful and the side that is defending the book because it was written by a then apostle and later prophet. Things are getting quite ugly between the two groups. I am curious about the motivations for deciding not to reprint the book.
Quote:The paperback’s OSI designation “is a status we typically use on older, slower-moving titles,” the Deseret Book manager writes in an email, “whose replenishment [printing] orders are fewer and further between.”
It sounds like people just aren’t interested in buying a paper copy. Why?
The book is now free in the Gospel Library app. This is the digital age and after all, free is better than buying a book.
- The younger generation doesn’t have any connection with SWK. Kids don’t know who the Beatles are, they’re listening to Imagine Dragons and Drenge.
- The teachings have fallen out of favor with the current generation.
I could be wrong but I don’t think they stopped printing because they found the teachings outmoded and they wanted to address that. If people were still buying the book they’d still be printing them.
I liked President Kimball a lot and he was the first president of the church that I remember. I do agree that this book probably has outlived its usefulness. My sister got pregnant in high school and this book caused her a lot of issues and I think contributed to some judgemental attitudes of ward members and family members. I think SWK is also the source of the psuedo doctrine about playing cards being Satanic or something. Or at least has been interpreted that way… I liked SWK for his kindness, attitudes towards race, and being down to earth. Recently an old youtube video made the rounds in my stake. It looks like it was made in the early 80s or 70s and has SWK’s voice dubbed over scenes of whitewater rafting. Many of the quotes are from Miracle of Forgiveness and General Conference talks. It’s embarrassing and I would not want anyone to hear it, member or non-member. In fairness to him I suppose those were probably prevalent – albeit conservative – attitudes towards homosexuality, masturbation, and sex.
I remember many parts of the book that were inspiring and loving. It just seemed to end on a harsh note…I think intentionally so young people took things seriously. But, I think it is outdated with many other books and opinions of the 1970s.
Just doesn’t fit or resonate as much anymore. Which is good, because my daughter came to me with so much guilt when she was told to read the book, and she had a hard time with me telling her it wasn’t all correct when it was a prophet’s name on the cover. Although that was a learning experience…I was not happy with how the bishop used that book.
Like Mormon Doctrine by McConkie…it captured ideas from that era…and mormonism allows for us to always gain greater light and knowledge and put some things to bed (thankfully).
Roadrunner wrote:I liked President Kimball a lot and he was the first president of the church that I remember. I do agree that this book probably has outlived its usefulness. My sister got pregnant in high school and this book caused her a lot of issues and I think contributed to some judgemental attitudes of ward members and family members. I think SWK is also the source of the psuedo doctrine about playing cards being Satanic or something. Or at least has been interpreted that way… I liked SWK for his kindness, attitudes towards race, and being down to earth.
Recently an old youtube video made the rounds in my stake. It looks like it was made in the early 80s or 70s and has SWK’s voice dubbed over scenes of whitewater rafting. Many of the quotes are from Miracle of Forgiveness and General Conference talks. It’s embarrassing and I would not want anyone to hear it, member or non-member. In fairness to him I suppose those were probably prevalent – albeit conservative – attitudes towards homosexuality, masturbation, and sex.
Ugh, I remember that video. As a youth leader and YSA in the 80s/early 90s I saw that video so many times. It’s not a terrible video on the level of the licked cupcake or chewed gum, it just got old for me. I think it’s another of those things that might have been more appropriate for its time.
Roadrunner wrote:Recently an old youtube video made the rounds in my stake. It looks like it was made in the early 80s or 70s and has SWK’s voice dubbed over scenes of whitewater rafting. Many of the quotes are from Miracle of Forgiveness and General Conference talks. It’s embarrassing and I would not want anyone to hear it, member or non-member. In fairness to him I suppose those were probably prevalent – albeit conservative – attitudes towards homosexuality, masturbation, and sex.
I remember sitting in that fireside when it was first presented.nibbler wrote:I could be wrong but I don’t think they stopped printing because they found the teachings outmoded and they wanted to address that. If people were still buying the book they’d still be printing them.
I think you’re right – the article seems to indicate it just wasn’t selling. I certainly get that, I wouldn’t buy it for myself or give it as a gift and I think the Millennials have little to no interest in it (probably partly due to its outdated ideas and partly due to SWK being ancient history). I secretly put our copy in the recycling (so DW wouldn’t know – she hasn’t missed it yet). I didn’t realize it was available on the Gospel Library app, but also took a quick look and couldn’t find it. It is available on Amazon but not sold by Amazon (likewise for MD).
DarkJedi wrote:I didn’t realize it was available on the Gospel Library app, but also took a quick look and couldn’t find it.
Hmm.
:think: I remember downloading Jesus the Christ and some other books in the app, I thought that was one of them. I’ll have to check my tablet when I get home. I might have gone crazy.
Edit: It’s not in the gospel library app. So much for memory.
We had a bishop in our stake back in the day that would routinely disfellowship teens that came to him with moral issues and I think it was based on MoF and his feeling the need to impress on them the seriousness of what they’d done. The problem is that there’s precious little in the book about forgiveness. I had to read it and up until the last two chapters found only definitions of various sins that people were rationalizing their way out of. Not to be glib but I came away with the feeling that it would be a miracle if you’d find forgiveness at all in this life or the next. GBSmith wrote:Not to be glib but I came away with the feeling that it would be a miracle if you’d find forgiveness at all in this life or the next.
That was my daughter’s reaction when she came to me with how she felt…that there would be no forgiveness, things can’t be undone, and she had to just accept she wouldn’t ever be in the CK.I told her…the hell with that! We need to have more faith in the Atonement than to teach such damning doctrines.
Perhaps part of the reason it doesn’t sell so much anymore is for that reason. Those types of teachings don’t hold up to experience and reason about life. I think those teachings were used as a deterrent to sin, but doesn’t help the sinner.
GBSmith wrote:Not to be glib but I came away with the feeling that it would be a miracle if you’d find forgiveness at all in this life or the next.
May the book should have been titled “Its a Miracle anyone is Forgiven”
I love the picture of he and his wife the most. I keep staring at his face and find calm. I hope I find that kind of calm in life someday. This book was a cause of great anguish to me in my twenties. The fact that it could be taken so literally and disseminated so widely, and now, is considered outdated and not even consistent with current policy or doctrine has implications for the writings of apostles and GA’s now. How much of what we hear in conference, or read from the Deseret Book shelves will be considered outdated, and no longer current 50 years from now, or sooner? Another reason our respective consciences should be the final judges of truth.
He wrote it with the clear intention of saying that even serious sins could be forgiven, as is evidenced by the title. The issue is that he didn’t get to that message until the end, when people were feeling horrible about themselves and missed the message as it was intended – or stopped reading before they got to that message. I loved Pres. Kimball, although I recognize some issues where his ideas were obviuosly over-conservative to me. I also know that he wished he could have gone back and rewritten the book when he learned how it was being used, shortly before he died. (as recorded in his son’s biography) He was gentle, loving man – and I ache for him (and so many who read that book) that what he intended to convey got mangled so badly in the writing and implementation of it.
I am glad it is not being reprinted.
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